I understand there is a difference between Amish and Mennonites. Those around here are Amish. They do not purport allegiance to secular governments and consider themselves “apart” from them. They do not pay into social security or Medicare, nor are they entitled to receive it. They won’t litigate, and won’t take oaths. They believe in living “plain”, without ornamentation or ostentation, which they refer to as “Hochmut” (sp?). Amish do, however, drive cars and have tractors, sawmills with engines, and so forth. But there are variations in that. Some reject more modernity than do others. They don’t believe in insurance and don’t have any. They go to doctors just like anybody else, but pay in cash and negotiate the fees for service.
Some of them might be poor starting out, but I have never, ever met one who didn’t have plenty of cash. They’ll buy a car or a tractor with greenbacks; just plunk them down.
Lots of them are excellent workers and have a lot of skills. Carpentry, butchering are services they sell to us “English”. They don’t come cheap, but they can be trusted. An Amish girl won’t go out with an “English” boy, no matter what.
When their young men come of age, they go out on an extended toot they refer to as “Rumspringa” or something like that. They will smoke if they want, get drunk, go to town, chase “English” girls. It’s their moment of choice…tasting the “English” world and its pleasures prior to making a decision whether to follow the Amish way. Ran into a bunch of those boys drunk as lords once, and it was amusing, and a lot less concerning than running into a bunch of drunk “English” teenage boys. I couldn’t help laughing at them, and they joined right into laughing at themselves as well.
They are very pleasant people, or so I have found.
